Hymenoptera training
Insects in the order Hymenoptera can be trained to perform a variety of tasks. The sensitivity of the olfactory senses of bees and wasps in particular have been shown to rival the abilities of sniffer dogs, though they an only be trained to detect a single scent each. Sniffer bees and sniffer wasps have been trained to detect substances such as explosive materials or illegal drugs, as well as some human and plant diseases. Intelligence Ethologist Karl von Frisch dedicated much of his career to the study of the sensory perceptions of the honey bee and was one of the first people to translate the meaning of the waggle dance.J.R. Riley, U. Greggers, A.D. Smith, D.R. Reynolds, and R. Menzel (12 May 2005) "Letters to Nature: The flight paths of honeybees recruited by the waggle dance," Nature, vol. 435, pages 205-207. His studies show that bees can count to five and have the capacity to be trained to visit specific feeding stations at certain times of day.Halter, Reese. Bees: man's best friend, provider and protector. 2 November 2010. Accessed 6 October 2011. Odour detection Bees and wasps are trained using classical conditioning, being exposed to a particular odour and then rewarded with a sugar solution.Hodgson, Martin. Sniffer bees: New flying squad in war against terror. The Independent. 7 May 2006. Accessed 6 October 2011. Within five minutes they learn to associate the smell with an impending supply of food and this triggers the proboscis extension reflex (sticking out their tongues).Trained Wasps May Be Used To Detect Bombs, Bugs, Bodies And More. Science Daily. 21 October 2005. Accessed 6 October 2011. Trained hymenopterans have been shown to successfully detect explosive materials including TNT, Semtex, and C-4 as well as gunpowder and propellants.Detecting Explosives With Honeybees: Experts Develop Method To Train Air Force Of Bomb-Sniffing Bees. Science Daily. 29 November 2006. Accessed 6 October 2011. Wasps can be trained to detect the early signs of fungal disease on crops and may have medicinal value, identifying people with cancer just by being exposed to their breath.Hall, Mimi. Scientists recruit wasps for war on terror. USA Today. 26 December 2005. Accessed 6 October 2011. Bees have been shown to detect and respond to more than 60 different odours including methamphetamine, uranium, and tuberculosis. They have been used to detect lung and skin cancers, diabetes, and to confirm pregnancy. Researchers at the University of Georgia have built a device named the "Wasp Hound" which contains the parasitic wasp species Microplitis croceipes. The insects normally walk around the PVC pipe in which they are housed but begin to migrate towards the source of an odour when it is the one that they were trained to recognise. These movements are tracked by a computer, with small cameras inside the device sending images for processing. Within 30 seconds of the wasps beginning to congregate near an odour source an alarm is sounded.Appel, Adrianne. Drug-Sniffing Wasps May Sting Crooks. National Geographic. 27 October 2005. Accessed 6 October 2011. References External links *The early bee catches the flower - circadian rhythmicity influences learning performance in honey bees, Apis mellifera. 31 July 2010. *Can Honey Bees Assist in Area Reduction and Landmine Detection?. December 2003. *First evidence of fine colour discrimination ability in ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) *Bees help in the battle against tuberculosis, 3 News. 27 October 2011. Category:Animal training Category:Hymenoptera ar:تدريب غشائيات الأجنحة -->